Super-duper weekend review

Where to begin with this post?  What a fun-filled, exhausting birthday/Easter weekend at our house!  I will post some pictures soon, but first for the written report.  We kicked off the celebration with a party at Carson’s school on Friday afternoon.  We and Carson’s classmates and teachers enjoyed delicious vanilla cupcakes with green and pink icing flowers along with vanilla and fudge swirl ice cream.  But in perhaps the most surprising moment of the day, Carson cried when we sang “Happy Birthday.”  I mean, cried.  I believe the video I attempted to take goes something like this:

[Visual of the friends sitting at the table, with focus on Carson] “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to…  [insert audio of screaming; visual shifts rapidly around toward the wall, then turns to static] awww, baby!!  Don’t cry!”

C calmed down soon after and enjoyed her ice cream.  She would not so much as lick the cupcake icing, however. 

Friday was a great warm-up event for Saturday, when Carson’s friends joined us for a trip to the Little Jumping Bean for some bouncy fun.  C had a great time.  She laughed and played, and we were quite impressed at her independence in exploring the jumpy apparati all by herself.  This time the cupcakes were in Pull-a-Part form, with Elmo and Big Bird racing across the top and icing made to look like REAL BLADES OF GRASS– I kid you not.  But when the song came, so did the crying.  Again.  And once again, C would not eat a cupcake!  (Do I need to tell you where these cupcakes, and possibly others, ended up?)

On Sunday, we celebrated again in combination with Easter as our families came over to visit.  I made Carson a cake shaped like a bunny, and even though I over-filled the pan and had to shave off the excess, I thought it came out pretty well for a first attempt.  How do you think C enjoyed the birthday song this time?  You guessed right; she was three for three on the crying.

What were Carson’s favorite gifts?  Thus far, the winner seems to be the animal hospital from Alexis, complete with stethoscope, syringe, and thermometer (pretend, of course).  We listened to Munson and Georgia’s hearts and took their temperatures, which they just loved.  It was good practice for Carson’s two-year checkup yesterday, where she seemed pretty excited about the stethoscope and gave the nurse a high-five AFTER a shot.  Carson weighs 29 pounds, 14 ounces and is three feet tall.  Shane plans to sign her up for tennis lessons this weekend. 

Happy second birthday, Carson!!

MAK Easter Egg Hunt

Sunday was a lovely day for the annual MAK Easter Egg Hunt.  (For those of you who don’t know about our new neighborhood and its history, go to www.mak-decatur.org– MAK is a local historic district including Adams Street.)  It was hosted by neighbor Ms. Lib Kennedy, the great-niece of Leila Ross Wilburn, the architect who designed our house 100 years ago.  Carson had a great time hunting for eggs.  She liked eating the Play-Doh inside, too.  Speaking of eating things, while we were out enjoying the festivities, Georgia ate an entire roll of painter’s tape.  We found a shred in the kitchen.  That’s all that was left. 

Enjoy some pictures of Carson in one of her Easter dresses.

Spring!

It’s spring– at least for a few days.  We’ve been enjoying the beautiful warm weather!  Carson likes to look at “mama’s daffodils” and “get the mail” each night when we get home.  Here is a picture of C checking out the view from the porch.  Don’t you love those pigtails?  They come courtesy of Ms. Vernette, C’s teacher.  Ms. Vernette makes the best pigtails in town!  (You may need to click on the picture to see the left piggie in all its glory.) 

Conversations, and other musings

Carson has become a master of conversation.  Instead of just repeating words or phrases back to me, she will actually engage me in a conversation and volunteer things.  Last night we were looking everywhere for a stuffed puppy.  I said, “Carson, where did the puppy go?”  She replied, “I don’t know”– which is nothing new as she’s been saying that for almost a year.  But then she continued, “Don’t worry, we’ll find him!”  Isn’t that wonderful?  We had a real conversation– and she was trying to comfort me!  (The puppy was behind the curtains and a little wet around the ears, from Munson’s mouth I assume.)

Carson has also started covering up her eyes when she says “no.”  It’s so dramatic, yet adorable.  She pops those fists right up to her eyes and shakes her head from side to side while saying (usually shouting) “noooooooooo!”  But then she starts to separate her fingers and peer through at you to make sure you are watching. 

The bathtub crayons seem to be spurring Carson’s recognition of letters.  In addition to that old favorite “s,” and that upstart “t,” she now points out “c,” “o,” “l,” “a,” and “r” (although a and r are often confused when capitalized).  So if we can just get the “n” down, she should be spelling out her name in no time!  She also likes for us to write the letters in various sizes next to each other so that she can label them “bigger one!” or “smaller one!”

Carson will be moving up to the next classroom at the end of the month, so please start the prayer chain, as well as the monetary collection to support the little trip to the looney bin that I may be taking as a result.  Those of you who recall the last classroom move may remember that poor little C screamed so long and loud that she lost her voice for 2 straight weeks.  And in an apparent expression of her feelings of betrayal, she instantly refused any contact with her former teachers who loved on her for 11 months and chose to lie on the floor of her new room alone in a puddle of tears rather than return to their arms.  (She still pretty much ignores poor Ms. Debra, Ms. Veronica, and Ms. Nora whenever she sees them.  It breaks my heart.)  I’m hoping this move will be easier, but I’m bracing myself for the worst.     

Orders Due to EBS TOMORROW

Just a quick reminder that if you’d like to order pictures from C’s recent shoot, orders must be in by tomorrow, March 4.  From the gallery, click on the “view controls” button and you will see an icon that looks like a shopping cart.  Click on that to order.  The password is “tutugirl.”